At Punkin Chunkin on Oct. 6-8, teams will compete to see how far their pumpkins can go in a world-class pumpkin chucking competition!
Often called the nation's largest pumpkin chucking festival, Aurora's Punkin Chunkin Colorado will feature tons of entertainment, fun fall activities, food vendors, and -- of course -- the launching of pumpkins across a field using, um, science. WHEN: Fri., Oct. 6 (Concert at 6 p.m.) | Sat., Oct. 7 -- 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Sun., Oct. 8 -- 10 a.m.–3 p.m. WHERE: Arapahoe Park & Mile High Racing | 26000 E Quincy Ave. | Aurora, Colorado 80016 TICKETS: Fri. Concert -- $12 (advance), $15 (at gate) | Sat./Sun. Festival -- $5 (ages 5+) | Purchase tickets here [gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="24002,24000"] The festival kicks off on Friday, October 6, with a live outdoor concert by The SWON Brothers. Then, the pumpkin chucking competition commences on Saturday and Sunday, with teams using a variety of methods (trebuchet, catapult, torsion, air cannon, and centrifugal) to outdo each other with the pumpkin that can launch and travel the farthest.
Punkin Chunkin is one of five such events sanctioned by the World Championship Punkin Chunkin organization (yes, there is such a thing!), and coverage of the launches have been featured on the Discovery Channel and Science Channel in the past. More than 33,000 people are estimated to have attended last year's Aurora festival, which featured the amazing pumpkin-launching capabilities of 14 adult teams and four youth teams.
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Completely family-friendly, the Punkin Chunkin event will include a variety of musical entertainment, face-painting, pony rides, a pumpkin patch, a blow-up corn maze, and food and drink vendors.
The Guinness world record for longest pumpkin shot was set in 2010 in Moab, Utah, with a distance of 5,545.43 feet. That's more than a mile! The launching apparatus was a pneumatic cannon called "Big 10 Inch."
For more information on the event, check out the City of Aurora's webpage.
Will one of the teams set a record at this year's Punkin Chunkin? Come watch and find out! We'll see you there!
